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Sometimes goodbye doesn't mean forever

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chuck Walker
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  On June 3, 2013, a rare occurrence in the Air Force and the military in general will take place as the 436th Maintenance Operations Squadron will stand down in a ceremony at the Air Mobility Command museum.

Unlike the change of command ceremony in which command changes from one commander to another, the stand down ceremony is the retirement of the squadron's guidon, as the squadron will cease and the members will be become part of the 436th Maintenance Group.

Other than losing the squadron name and the commander slot, Maj. Earl Williams III, current 436th MOS commander, said the 82 members of the 436th MOS would not notice a change.

"Our mission will not change, this is more or less a change in title only," Williams said. "We will become a staff function under the 436th MXG. We will have the same number of people minus the commander slot."

This is being done Air Force wide, as MOS's across the force are standing down. Each of the ceremonies has been timed with the Permanent Change of Station orders of each of the commanders. All MOS's will stand down by June 30, 2013.

This is not the first time the squadron has changed. The 436th MOS rich heritage began with its initial activation as the 436th Sub-Depot Squadron under the United States Army Air Corps, Air Services Command on September 25, 1943. The squadron based its operations out of Fort Sill in Oklahoma for a six-month period during World War II and then disbanded on April 1, 1944. In 1991, the squadron stood up as the 436th Logistics Support Squadron after being inactive for 47 years. In 2002, it became the 436th Maintenance Operations Squadron. Williams will leave as the 13th Squadron commander of the 436th MOS and he will become the 51st Maintenance Squadron commander at Osan Air Base, Korea.

Williams said the squadron will always have a special place in his heart since it was his first command.

"As my first squadron, it was small in size, but big in impact," Williams said. "I am humbled to have served as the commander. I enjoyed every moment. It helps you to understand how a small squadron doesn't necessarily mean small goals or objectives, that they are actually larger in my perspective."

Master Sgt. Eric Amodeo, 436th MOS quality assurance chief inspector, said it will still be business as usual for the squadron personnel.

"It is not going to change anything," Amodeo said. "We will still support our customers and provide them the same service we always have. The transition will be seamless."

The 436th MOS currently consists of: Maintenance Analysis, Plans and Scheduling, Programs and Resources, Maintenance Training, Maintenance Operations Center, AFSO21, Engine Management, Support Staff and Quality Assurance (administratively). All will become functions under the 436th MXG following the ceremony.

The ceremony will take place 10 a.m. on June 3, 2013, at the AMC Museum and is open to the general public.

"This is a celebration, not a closure to the mission," Williams said.